James has given us two characteristics of a mature Christian
He is patient in Trouble
He practices truth
He gives us a third characteristic in this section—He has power over his tongue
The tongue is a powerful thing—it can praise God, pray, preach the word, and lead lost to Christ.
In order to show that the tongue has great consequences (good or bad) James gives us 6 pictures of the tongue: The bit, the rudder, the fire, a poisonous animal, a fountain, and a fig tree.
These 6 pictures can be put into classifications to reveal different powers of the tongue
Power to Direct: The Bit and the Rudder (3:1-4)
What does a bit do?
What does a rudder do?
Who or what does the tongue direct?
Can it direct good or evil?
How can you use your tongue to direct evil?
How can you use your tongue to direct good?
Power to Destroy: The Fire and the Animal (3:5-8)
What’s the deadliest thing in the world?
Apparently there were a lot of wanna be teachers in this church (not many of you should be teachers)
Power to Delight: The Fountain and the Tree (3:9-12)
Power to Delight: The Fountain and the Tree (3:9-12)
